[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 190 (Monday, October 1, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 59932]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24103]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Single Source Award; Exception to Competition

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of Exception to Competition--Single Source Award to 
Texas Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) East--University of Texas 
Medical Branch.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)'s 
Bureau of Health Professions is issuing a non-competitive single source 
award to the Texas AHEC East--University of Texas Medical Branch, an 
AHEC program grantee, to add a Behavioral Health component to a 
Community Health Worker (CHW) curriculum, pilot and evaluate it in 
primary care settings, and disseminate the curriculum. This project 
shall be titled: Community Health Worker (CHW) Behavioral Health 
Primary Care Integration Project. In fiscal year (FY) 2012, $486,394 
will be available to fully fund this cooperative agreement with a 
single project/budget period of four years. The Texas AHEC East is 
uniquely qualified and has the capacity, capability, expertise, 
experience, and infrastructure to expeditiously, effectively, and 
efficiently implement the CHW Behavioral Health Primary Care 
Integration Project within their existing educational programming, and 
disseminate the tested model nationally. CHWs play an important role in 
increasing access to services for vulnerable populations, and 
increasing support for direct service workers, including community 
health workers, which is a priority for the Department of Health and 
Human Services as well as the Health Resources and Services 
Administration.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Intended Recipient of the Award: Texas AHEC 
East--University of Texas Medical Branch.
    Amount of Award: $486,394.
    Authority: Section 751 of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC 
294a), as amended by Section 5403 of the Patient Protection and 
Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111-148.
    CFDA Number: 93.107.
    Project Period: September 30, 2012, through September 29, 2016.
    Justification: The Texas AHEC East is uniquely qualified to carry 
out the CHW Behavioral Health Primary Care Integration Project because 
of their demonstrated expertise in the training of CHWs and CHW 
instructors for certification, and because of their proven track record 
as pioneers of the CHW apprenticeship model.
    The Texas AHEC East has an existing infrastructure with staff 
expertise, and a proven track record in curriculum design and training 
to develop a behavioral health curriculum that can augment the existing 
CHW training program, as well as strong partnerships with community-
based primary care providers to implement, pilot, and evaluate the 
curriculum in primary care settings.
    Furthermore, the proposed Project Director is recognized for her 
work and expertise in CHW training, serves as the Chair of the National 
AHEC Organization's Community Health Worker workgroup, and is a member 
of the American Public Health Association's Community Health Worker 
section. She has presented at national meetings and at several states' 
CHW meetings on designing CHW training curriculum, as well as the CHW 
apprenticeship-training model. As a result of these collaborations and 
recognitions, significant opportunities exist for national 
dissemination and replication of this project. Providing the additional 
funding to an existing grantee (Texas AHEC East--University of Texas 
Medical Branch) also has benefits for program evaluation purposes, 
since AHEC grantees have existing evaluation requirements with which 
they comply. This award aligns with the current AHEC budget period 
cycle, resulting in administrative savings over a competitive grant 
making process.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Meseret Bezuneh, Project Officer, 
Health Resources and Services Administration, Division of Public Health 
and Interdisciplinary Education, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9C-05, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857; Phone: (301) 594-4149, Email: 
[email protected].

    Dated: September 25, 2012.
Mary K. Wakefield,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-24103 Filed 9-28-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P